^^^^^ This is a fictional story. ^^^^^
Our school is located in a valley. It’s quite remote, but the scenery is great. The buildings were over a hundred year old. We are proud of our long history and our name. Most of the students are from out of town or even in the cities. Their parents pay high tuition to have them boarding here. We only return home in summer or winter holidays.
It’s May now, the rainy season, but it doesn’t matter. We don’t really go out anyway. All the buildings are connected, and central-heated. We have everything indoor. It’s too cold outside.
Today is the day of the mid-term exam of European History. We are all anxiously writing our essays… We need to answer all the questions as detailed and as complete as possible within the limit.
However, one question seems strange. We try to argue with the teacher, ask her to either skip or change this question… Just when we are busy debating with our teacher, another teacher suddenly knocks loudly and walks in.
“The dam had failed! The water is coming! We need to evacuate, NOW!!!”
We are in shock. What dam? The one a mile away from our school? But it had never failed? Why? Broken? We are never even trained for it… We all just sat there staring at each other.
Just when I’m thinking what to do, our class teacher already stands up from her desk. “Forget about the exam! Go to your room to pack, only the important things, and meet me at the Main Lobby in 10min!!! Do not be late!!! This is urgent!!!” She sounds so serious, that’s when the fear sinks in. Is this for real??
I drop everything and rush back to my room, by then I’m in shock again. You see, we ate a privileged private school, our students always well, act well, we have class and manners. But, what in front of my eyes are unbelievable! Some girls are crying hideously… Some are changing clothes in front of us, showing their undergarments… Some are stuffing everything into their bags like crazy…
I rush to my bedside too. What’s important? What’s important?
Hurry… my albums… Oh no, too heavy.
I poured them back out. Luckily, I had backup in hard disk. I carefully put my electronics into zip-locks, along with my IDs, money, bank cards…
Okay, I need to change too.
I peel off my school uniform, pull on a pair of long pants, sneakers. I stuff my down jacket & rain jacket into my backpack, and then run, without looking back.
I need to go find my younger sister. She is in this school too! She must be terrified now! There are people everywhere. I’ve already run into several people in the hallway. Then, I run into another. “Oh, Alex.”
He is my good friend, 2 years senior than me, tall & handsome & kind, we chatted & joked together often. I always has a crush on him…
I don’t know what comes out of me… maybe I’m scared, maybe I think I’ll never see him again. Anyway, I hug him!!!
I had never done that before. I think he may jump or push me away, but he didn’t. He hugs me back, even more tightly. At that moment, I think time has stopped, all the people around us disappeared, there are only 2 of us.
What felt like a million hours later, I open my eyes, and realize it has only been a few seconds, people are still running around everywhere. I look up, and Alex’s beautiful green eyes are fixed on me. “Leave with me!!!” “What…” my legs suddenly feel weak. “Leave with me!! I don’t want to lose you!!” “oh… but my sister.” My head is in a mess and my heart is pounding. He holds my hand firmly and pulls me to the lower class’s floor…
Where I find my sister, who is strangely calm, hugging to her backpack. “I thought you might come.”
Together we rush to the main lobby, where already hundreds of noisy students are waiting… when we try to find our place, and then my class teacher suddenly push through the crowds to me. “Jennifer Anderson, your father has come for you and your sister!”
There are already lot of cars lining up at the entrance. There I was surprised to see my father sitting in his dark sedan, waiting at the front door, looks tired. He is a mess. I have never seen him like that before.
He said, “Let’s go!” “Sorry, dad. Please take Lydia. I’ll go with Alex.” “What??” I think he can’t believe his ears. Staring from me to him, then back to me, surprisingly my dad did not ask any other question. He said, “Whatever, just hurry. Be safe. And, call me.”
There, the flood, has brought me to a new life, with Alex, unexpectedly.
^^^^^ The End ^^^^^